You can accuse us of being idiots but not match-fixers, says John Higgins' manager Pat Mooney

JOHN HIGGINS' manager last night insisted his client is innocent of match-fixing charges and only went along with a planned scam because he believed mobsters would not allow him to leave Kiev alive if he opposed them.

JOHN HIGGINS' manager last night insisted his client is innocent of match-fixing charges and only went along with a planned scam because he believed mobsters would not allow him to leave Kiev alive if he opposed them.

The world champion Scot - he gives up his crown tonight - has been suspended after newspaper allegations that he agreed to "throw" four frames at various points in the season in return for a 300,000 euros back-hander.

Higgins, from Wishaw, and his Glasgow-based manager Pat Mooney, were secretly videoed by journalists posing as Ukrainian businessmen trying to set up a tournament in Kiev. But Mooney, who has resigned from the board of World Snooker in the wake of the scandal, has vehemently denied that Higgins is involved in match rigging. He thinks the pair are guilty of nothing more serious than idiocy and naivety.

He insisted three-time world champion Higgins believed he was being set up by an Eastern Bloc Mafia organisation and only agreed to the deal in order to escape their clutches.

Mooney claimed they were in Kiev last week for talks about a forthcoming World Series of Snooker event but ended up in a nightmare situation. He said: "The story bears no relation to the context or circumstances we were faced with in Kiev.

"A journalist, posing as a marketing executive for a firm called Alpha-Equity, a subsidiary of the Russian bank of the same name, was looking to invest in sports that could be used to sell their brand of sportswear.

"At the first meeting over dinner with me this reporter mentioned the problems in snooker with match-fixing etc and asked if I had been aware of any of it. I explained that, working with John, it's never a topic that is likely to come up. An outline plan for the event was done with them as sponsors."

Higgins is videoed at a second meeting explaining how players can miss pots by small margins to make it look like they've made a genuine attempt at the shot.

But Mooney said: "That referred to exhibition matches and how it is nice to let a talented local player win a frame or two as it always pleases the crowd. Anyone who has been at an exhibition knows this is part of the fun."

Mooney claims the Ukrainians were willing to sponsor a major snooker event. After consulting with World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn, documents were drawn up and it was agreed a future meeting would be held in Kiev. That was brought forward by Higgins' early exit from the World Championship - and this is when the Scots felt intimidated.

Mooney added: "We arrived in Kiev and were met by a private car off the f light and fast-tracked through customs.

"We were taken to the venue where we met the staff and agreed a provisional layout for the event.

"The reporter said, 'Don't 'f*** me about - these are serious guys and if we don't get this agreed I'm in serious trouble. Remember they like a bet so we need to talk to John'. I said we'd talk later, not wishing to take this any further.

"At dinner we were joined by a man named Nichal and when we were leaving they took me aside and said he made millions of pounds with the reporter by fixing cricket and if we were to have this happen he would need to know some frame results.

"This was delivered in a very threatening manner by all three people with us. I was concerned because I thought I was dealing with Russian crime figures. Nichal then left and the reporter said, 'You understand that is not a guy you f*** about with.

"As we had drunk quite a lot we went back to the hotel where we sat in the reporter's suite. John left the room and they said this (the match-fixing) had to be done. I felt extremely threatened and said I'd talk to John the next day.

"In the morning I told John to tell them whatever they wanted to hear to ensure we got out in one piece. The News of the World set out deliberately to tarnish an unblemished snooker career and character and spared no expense to entrap both John and myself in what is a disgraceful piece of reporting.

"We can certainly be accused of being idiots and possibly even naive with hindsight.

"However, to have been so deliberately set up in a foreign country when doing nothing other than working on behalf of our sport is malicious in the extreme."